


Gallantry: A Tale of 3 Torchwood Gestures

by songspinner9



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-29
Updated: 2011-12-29
Packaged: 2017-10-28 10:02:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/306708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songspinner9/pseuds/songspinner9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gestures of chivalry for different relationships...</p><p>Disclaimer: The BBC owns the team and the 'verse they inhabit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gallantry: A Tale of 3 Torchwood Gestures

_two weeks after Jack's gone with the Doctor_

"Let's go! It shouldn't take more than a half-hour to get there..." Gwen was up and out of her chair with renewed energy. "Ianto, did you find what we need?"

"Of course." He smiled and handed her a pack. "It's sealed, so you'll have to open it carefully before you use it for containment."

With a deft twist, Toshiko closed her own bag, secured her laptop, and paused as she got near Ianto's station. "Stay on the coms. It sounds harmless, but..."

"Yeah." He clearly knew what she meant. "Stay safe."

"Right. We're off, then."

Torchwood's computer expert started toward the huge cog door. She silently watched as Gwen gave Ianto some last instructions that he obviously agreed with.

And then there was a moment where he froze. The other woman clearly noticed, as she laid a careful hand on Ianto's arm and murmured a query. He shook his head in reply and quietly said something in return, and whatever it was made her slide her hand down to link arms with him briefly.

Toshiko wondered about it for a while as they drove to the site, but it was pushed to the back of her mind as the site yielded a new puzzle to solve...

***

 _twenty-three days after Jack's left with the Doctor_

"Owen, do you have that kit? I set it up for you last night."

"Uh, hang on a moment." The doctor rummaged in his satchel. "That would be no, actually."

Ianto sighed. "Catch." He tossed the zippered case in the other man's direction and grinned as it was caught. "Nice. Not too hungover, then?"

The repsonse Owen came up with wasn't particular verbal, but it was quite clear, he thought. Not serious, though. He and his younger colleague had come to some understandings since Jack left, and one of them was that annoying each other would bloody well continue.

"Owen, try to keep the rude gestures confined to the Hub, please, if nothing else? We cannot afford to alienate the locals anymore than we already do." Gwen came down the stairs from the office.

"Aw, c'mon, Gwen...you're not fun since you took charge." He managed to get what he considered the perfect six-year-old-sounding whine into his voice, and met her glare with a face to match.

"Tosh, can you monitor things from here on this one? We might need backup and someone to call for it."

"Not a problem." The technician pushed her glasses up a bit and went back to her programming.

"It's about five miles outside of Cardiff, from what we could tell." Owen commented as they all gathered their things. "Ianto, you're driving this time, please."

"Naturally."

"Is that a comment on my driving?"

"Never." Ianto answered him, as Gwen elbowed them both simultaneously before pushing between them on the way to the door. "Ow."

"Babies, the both of you. Let's move."

There was a pause at the door, and Owen shook his head as Ianto held out his arm in a blatantly chivalrous gesture for Gwen to take.

"I rather appreciate a bit of gentlemanly behavior, thanks." Gwen hooked her arm through Ianto's, resting her gloved hand on his upper arm.

"Well, if you're going to be that way, then, shall we, ladies and gentlemen?" The doctor reached for her other arm, only to have it swatted away. "Fine. My manners shall be unappreciated..."

***

 _a few nights after the events in "Sleeper"_

"Ianto?" Jack's whisper cut through the humming stillness of the Hub.

'Mmmm?"

"You and Gwen?"

"We're running away together and to hell with you and Rhys." Ianto rumbled sleepily.

Jack snickered, swatting at him. "I'm crushed."

"Sorry. I was almost asleep there, and it's too late at night to think seriously. What were you trying to ask?

The captain turned on his side to make out the other man's face in the shadows of the little room. "You turned into such a team while I was gone. Routines and habits. I know that you backed her up with whatever she needed done..."

"Went head to head on a couple of things, but mostly, yeah."

"Even gestures. When you two are teamed up, you take her arm as you leave. Very chivalrous." He smiled in appreciation and leaned across to press a soft kiss on Ianto's lips, pulling him back to rest against his chest.

"Ah, well..." Ianto explained, his words buzzing against Jack's sensitive skin, "that started about two weeks after you left. There was a mission...and I...I sort of automatically reached for your coat to give to you and you weren't there. Stopped me in my tracks, and Gwen told me that she'd always thought it was lovely to see and that I'd come up with something for her eventually."

Jack's arms tightened around the younger man. "Ianto, I had to..."

More wakeful now, Ianto pushed away a little. "I knew you'd go when you had the chance, Jack. How could you not? We've talked about this. You needed to know. You told me that back when I figured it out. I'm not angry at you for leaving. Maybe for not leaving a note, at least, but I understand. I'd want...need to know. I'm not honestly sure how you waited this long and stayed sane."

A twinge of something went through Jack at that last comment, and he let go to turn away, facing the wall.

"Jack?"

He felt the bed shift as Ianto sat up, felt a hand go out but not quite touch him, heard the question in a tone that implied patience. "Sorry."

"Don't be daft." Ianto's voice was low and exasperated. "Can you tell me?"

"I...I wasn't always, I think. Sane." Jack begain, murmuring against the pillows. "And when we stopped running long enough for me to ask...he couldn't fix me. It's done. It was done out of love, but done. Not by him...by Rose. We traveled together once. She was trying to save me."

"But why...more than a hundred years? If he..." He heard Ianto's sharp intake of breath and the sound of a hand tensing into a fist and hitting the wall of the bunker. "He knew and he left you here all this time? I'd kill him myself, if he were here right now. How could he...what you..."

"Hey..." Jack twisted around and sat up, grabbing the fist and carefully but firmly massaging the fingers of the other man's hand until they curled around his tightly. "We talked. He and I...I think we're okay now. What we went through...it didn't fix it, but it's healing. You don't have to get all white knight for me..." He leaned forward and rested his forehead against Ianto's. "It's done, but I appreciate the impulse, believe me."

"Good." Ianto drew them down into the blankets again, pulling the wool and silk up against the cold. "But for the record?"

"Hmmm?"

"I do own a sword."

Jack shook his head, laughing silently for the first time in far too long, and let the sound of Ianto's breathing ease him into rest.


End file.
